Jackson Free Press

The idea that the prosecutions of Justice Oliver Diaz and attorney Paul Minor may have been politically motivated by a George Bush administration is gathering steam in the nation's capitol, in the aftermath of other similar allegations about Bush's Justice Department. The Clarion-Ledger's Washington Bureau is reporting:

The cases against Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz and attorney Paul Minor were made part of a Democratic probe of suspected politically motivated prosecutions Tuesday. Two House Judiciary subcommittees heard complaints that the Bush administration had politicized the Justice Department so much so that prosecutors had targeted Democratic judges and officeholders.

"The public must learn the full extent to which the Justice Department has been transformed into a political arm of the Bush administration," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.

Much of the hearing centered on the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who was convicted of corruption. Several Democrats raised the Diaz and Minor cases as possible examples of "selective prosecution." Diaz and Minor, a prominent trial lawyer, were prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton in Jackson after Diaz accepted a $73,000 loan from Minor. Diaz eventually was acquitted of wrongdoing in accepting the loan and of separate tax-evasion charges.

Minor was convicted of using contributions and loans to influence the decisions of two judges and is serving an 11-year sentence.

Previous Comments

ID

115220

Comment

A lot of work has been done on this by an Alabama blogger. His work was actually introduced by one of the Congressmen today I believe. Legal Schnauzer Yea for new/alternative media!

Author

john leek

Date

2007-10-24T17:13:54-06:00